
William Wordsworth’s “Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent’s Narrow Room” takes quite the unexpected turn away from the beginning plot. The writer initially touches on different aspects of various individuals occupations such as Nuns, hermits, and students, making them seem very confined. He then flips the situation, going in about how these confined people are satisfied with the restrictions in their workplace. After this he presents that writing sonnets is similar to this, and compares every day restrictions with those restrictions of writing a sonnet, which is what the poem is actually about. However, he also claims that-compared to those he presented in the first quatrain- he finds comfort in having restrictions. He uses certain words to magnify the restrictions in the every day jobs they are working in, then makes the claim that these people are more than satisfied to be restricted, the concluding couplet is used to explain how he finds comfort in restrictions as much as the workers do.

The writer obviously uses specific words to make these jobs seem restricted. For example, instead of the Nun’s room he makes sure to note that it is a “narrow room” (line 1). He does this to exaggerate how confined the nun really is to her small room. As well as the word “cells” (2) used with the hermits; a cell is typically a room someone is kept/locked in. He wants you to know just how much these individuals are restricted to their places of work. Although, while using these somewhat negative words he states in some way that they are at ease with being like this. He claims that regardless of how bad the conditions are, the people are satisfied with them.

After explaining these harsh sounding restrictions, he not only says that they are content with it, but that (they) “Sit blithe and happy, bees that soar for bloom” (5). It would seem that he is trying to say that they aren’t simply at ease or okay with these confinements, but they are happy with them. At this point, it is obvious that he is setting up readers for another contrast of restrictions and being content. He goes on to say that “In truth the prison, into which we doom / Ourselves, no prison is: and hence for me” (8-9). One could interpret this as that often people make out their situations to be horrible and limiting, when really it is only as bad as one  makes it out to be. This “prison” that we “doom” ourselves is just another way the writer is helping the readers visualize their idea of their own everyday “prison” creating imagery so that the writer can set himself up to talk about his personal restriction that he must stay within.

William Wordsworth compares all of this to his own problem with restrictions. He compares the everyday living/job restriction to the restriction of writing the actual sonnet itself, saying that “Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be) / Who have felt the weight of too much liberty, / Should find brief solace there, as I have found” (12-14). However, even though we doom ourselves to this prison, he claims that, like others, he finds comfort in having restrictions. Having too much freedom can at times be stressful and overwhelming leading to problems- whether that be in writing sonnets or in everyday life.

William Wordsworth uses specific words to pull readers in and to confuse them as to why these people would be at ease- and then even happy about these conditions they work in. He does this to introduce the problem of the sonnet and explain how sonnets are similar in difficulty. He not only tells a story inside the sonnet, but explains and shows exactly how sonnets are supposed to be constructed- three quatrains to introduce a problem and a concluding couplet to solve it. After confusing the readers, William Wordsworth finishes his sonnet to explain exactly why restrictions need to be in place. He adds that he finds more than comfort in having these restrictions, comparing himself and his passion of writing sonnets, comparing himself and the difficulty of producing a sonnet to that of an regular individual and the job they perform every day. A Nun is not the same without her convent’s narrow room, as well as a sonnet without (it’s) “scanty plot of ground” (11).
